Jazz bandleader and Pat Metheny bassist talks Ray Brown and Marcel Marceau
Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman
December 10, 2018
By David Sands
Electric and double bassist Linda May Han Oh has been shaking up the jazz world for over a decade now. Currently the bassist for Pat Metheny’s band, she’s also performed with Joe Lovano, Steve Wilson, Vijay Iyer, Dave Douglas, Kenny Barron, Geri Allen, Fabian Almazan and Terri Lyne Carrington. But it’s as a composer and bandleader that she’s really made a name for herself, bursting on the scene to glowing reviews in 2009 with her debut “Entry” (a trio album with drummer Obed Calvaire and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire). Since that time, she’s put together three other solo releases, most recently 2017’s “Walk Against Wind.” Over the years, she’s received a string of honors and accolades, including ASCAP’s Young Jazz Composer award in 2008 and being named “No. 1 Acoustic Bass Rising Star” in Downbeat’s 2010 Critics Poll. Oh also teaches with the Manhattan School of Music’s pre-college division.
At a recent Pat Metheny performance in Ann Arbor, Michigan, FBPO’s Jon Liebman spoke with Oh about her formative years in Australia, the influence of Ray Brown, her gear and the unlikely story of how the famous mime Marcel Marceau inspired an album of her music.
Watch our interview with Linda!
